Chester Brown

Chester Brown was born on May 16, 1960, in Montreal, Canada. He emerged in the 1980s alternative comics scene with the surreal, scatological serial *Ed the Happy Clown*, first self-published as the minicomic *Yummy Fur* in 1983 before moving to Vortex Comics. After abruptly ending that series, Brown turned to confessional autobiography in the early 1990s, becoming a key figure in the trend alongside fellow Toronto cartoonists Joe Matt and Seth. His graphic novels *The Playboy* (1992) and *I Never Liked You* (1994) came from this period. Surprise mainstream success arrived with *Louis Riel* (2003), a historical biography of the Métis leader. Later works, including *Paying for It* (2011) and *Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus* (2016), sparked controversy for their polemical support of decriminalizing prostitution. Brown draws from monster comics, underground comix, and strips like *Little Orphan Annie*, and his later style is notably sparse, with flat dialogue and a unique method of assembling individual panels into pages. Since the late 1990s, he has provided detailed annotations and extensively revised his older work. He has received Canada Council grants and remains associated with Drawn & Quarterly.